the way of all flesh-第39章

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stock　she　might　have　been　said　to　have　been　buoyant　in　the　Battersby
market　for　some　few　days；　buoyant　for　long　together　she　could　never
be；　still　for　a　time　there　really　was　an　upward　movement。
Christina's　mind　wandered　to　the　organ　itself；　she　seemed　to　have
made　it　with　her　own　hands；　there　would　be　no　other　in　England　to
compare　with　it　for　combined　sweetness　and　power。　　She　already　heard
the　famous　Dr　Walmisley　of　Cambridge　mistaking　it　for　a　Father
Smith。　　It　would　come；　no　doubt；　in　reality　to　Battersby　Church；
which　wanted　an　organ；　for　it　must　be　all　nonsense　about　Alethea's
wishing　to　keep　it；　and　Ernest　would　not　have　a　house　of　his　own　for
ever　so　many　years；　and　they　could　never　have　it　at　the　Rectory。
Oh；　no！　　Battersby　Church　was　the　only　proper　place　for　it。

Of　course；　they　would　have　a　grand　opening；　and　the　Bishop　would
come　down；　and　perhaps　young　Figgins　might　be　on　a　visit　to　them
she　must　ask　Ernest　if　young　Figgins　had　yet　left　Roughboroughhe
might　even　persuade　his　grandfather　Lord　Lonsford　to　be　present。
Lord　Lonsford　and　the　Bishop　and　everyone　else　would　then　compliment
her；　and　Dr　Wesley　or　Dr　Walmisley；　who　should　preside　（it　did　not
much　matter　which）；　would　say　to　her；　〃My　dear　Mrs　Pontifex；　I　never
yet　played　upon　so　remarkable　an　instrument。〃　　Then　she　would　give
him　one　of　her　very　sweetest　smiles　and　say　she　feared　he　was
flattering　her；　on　which　he　would　rejoin　with　some　pleasant　little
trifle　about　remarkable　men　（the　remarkable　man　being　for　the　moment
Ernest）　having　invariably　had　remarkable　women　for　their　mothers
and　so　on　and　so　on。　　The　advantage　of　doing　one's　praising　for
oneself　is　that　one　can　lay　it　on　so　thick　and　exactly　in　the　right
places。

Theobald　wrote　Ernest　a　short　and　surly　letter　a　propos　of　his
aunt's　intentions　in　this　matter。

〃I　will　not　commit　myself；〃　he　said；　〃to　an　opinion　whether　anything
will　come　of　it；　this　will　depend　entirely　upon　your　own　exertions；
you　have　had　singular　advantages　hitherto；　and　your　kind　aunt　is
showing　every　desire　to　befriend　you；　but　you　must　give　greater
proof　of　stability　and　steadiness　of　character　than　you　have　given
yet　if　this　organ　matter　is　not　to　prove　in　the　end　to　be　only　one
disappointment　the　more。

〃I　must　insist　on　two　things：　　firstly　that　this　new　iron　in　the
fire　does　not　distract　your　attention　from　your　Latin　and　Greek〃
（〃They　aren't　mine；〃　thought　Ernest；　〃and　never　have　been〃）〃and
secondly；　that　you　bring　no　smell　of　glue　or　shavings　into　the　house
here；　if　you　make　any　part　of　the　organ　during　your　holidays。〃

Ernest　was　still　too　young　to　know　how　unpleasant　a　letter　he　was
receiving。　　He　believed　the　innuendoes　contained　in　it　to　be
perfectly　just。　　He　knew　he　was　sadly　deficient　in　perseverance。　　He
liked　some　things　for　a　little　while；　and　then　found　he　did　not　like
them　any　moreand　this　was　as　bad　as　anything　well　could　be。　　His
father's　letter　gave　him　one　of　his　many　fits　of　melancholy　over　his
own　worthlessness；　but　the　thought　of　the　organ　consoled　him；　and　he
felt　sure　that　here　at　any　rate　was　something　to　which　he　could
apply　himself　steadily　without　growing　tired　of　it。

It　was　settled　that　the　organ　was　not　to　be　begun　before　the
Christmas　holidays　were　over；　and　that　till　then　Ernest　should　do　a
little　plain　carpentering；　so　as　to　get　to　know　how　to　use　his
tools。　　Miss　Pontifex　had　a　carpenter's　bench　set　up　in　an　outhouse
upon　her　own　premises；　and　made　terms　with　the　most　respectable
carpenter　in　Roughborough；　by　which　one　of　his　men　was　to　come　for　a
couple　of　hours　twice　a　week　and　set　Ernest　on　the　right　way；　then
she　discovered　she　wanted　this　or　that　simple　piece　of　work　done；
and　gave　the　boy　a　commission　to　do　it；　paying　him　handsomely　as
well　as　finding　him　in　tools　and　materials。　　She　never　gave　him　a
syllable　of　good　advice；　or　talked　to　him　about　everything's
depending　upon　his　own　exertions；　but　she　kissed　him　often；　and
would　come　into　the　workshop　and　act　the　part　of　one　who　took　an
interest　in　what　was　being　done　so　cleverly　as　ere　long　to　become
really　interested。

What　boy　would　not　take　kindly　to　almost　anything　with　such
assistance？　　All　boys　like　making　things；　the　exercise　of　sawing；
planing　and　hammering；　proved　exactly　what　his　aunt　had　wanted　to
findsomething　that　should　exercise；　but　not　too　much；　and　at　the
same　time　amuse　him；　when　Ernest's　sallow　face　was　flushed　with　his
work；　and　his　eyes　were　sparkling　with　pleasure；　he　looked　quite　a
different　boy　from　the　one　his　aunt　had　taken　in　hand　only　a　few
months　earlier。　　His　inner　self　never　told　him　that　this　was　humbug；
as　it　did　about　Latin　and　Greek。　　Making　stools　and　drawers　was
worth　living　for；　and　after　Christmas　there　loomed　the　organ；　which
was　scarcely　ever　absent　from　his　mind。

His　aunt　let　him　invite　his　friends；　encouraging　him　to　bring　those
whom　her　quick　sense　told　her　were　the　most　desirable。　　She
smartened　him　up　also　in　his　personal　appearance；　always　without
preaching　to　him。　　Indeed　she　worked　wonders　during　the　short　time
that　was　allowed　her；　and　if　her　life　had　been　spared　I　cannot　think
that　my　hero　would　have　come　under　the　shadow　of　that　cloud　which
cast　so　heavy　a　gloom　over　his　younger　manhood；　but　unfortunately
for　him　his　gleam　of　sunshine　was　too　hot　and　too　brilliant　to　last；
and　he　had　many　a　storm　yet　to　weather；　before　he　became　fairly
happy。　　For　the　present；　however；　he　was　supremely　so；　and　his　aunt
was　happy　and　grateful　for　his　happiness；　the　improvement　she　saw　in
him；　and　his　unrepressed　affection　for　herself。　　She　became　fonder
of　him　from　day　to　day　in　spite　of　his　many　faults　and　almost
incredible　foolishnesses。　　It　was　perhaps　on　account　of　these　very
things　that　she　saw　how　much　he　had　need　of　her；　but　at　any　rate；
from　whatever　cause；　she　became　strengthened　in　her　determination　to
be　to　him　in　the　place　of　parents；　and　to　find　in　him　a　son　rather
than　a　nephew。　　But　still　she　made　no　will。



CHAPTER　XXXV



All　went　well　for　the　first　part　of　the　following　half　year。　　Miss
Pontifex　spent　the　greater　part　of　her　holidays　in　London；　and　I
also　saw　her　at　Roughborough；　where　I　spent　a　few　days；　staying　at
the　〃Swan。〃　　I　heard　all　about　my　godson　in　whom；　however；　I　took
less　interest　than　I　said　I　did。　　I　took　more　interest　in　the　stage
at　that　time　than　in　anything　else；　and　as　for　Ernest；　I　found　him　a
nuisance　for　engrossing　so　much　of　his　aunt's　attention；　and　taking
her　so　much　from　London。　　The　organ　was　begun；　and　made　fair
progress　during　the　first　two　months　of　the　half　year。　　Ernest　was
happier　than　he　had　ever　been　before；　and　was　struggling　upwards。
The　best　boys　took　more　notice　of　him　for　his　aunt's　sake；　and　he
consorted　less　with　those　who　led　him　into　mischief。

But　much　as　Miss　Pontifex　had　done；　she　could　not　all　at　once　undo
the　effect　of　such　surroundings　as　the　boy　had　had　at　Battersby。
Much　as　he　feared　and　disliked　his　father　（though　he　still　knew　not
how　much　this　was）；　he　had　caught　much　from　him；　if　Theobald　had
been　kinder　Ernest　would　have　modelled　himself　upon　him　entirely；
and　ere　long　would　probably　have　become　as　thorough　a　little　prig　as
could　have　easily　been　found。

Fortunately　his　temper　had　come　to　him　from　his　mother；　who；　when
not　frightened；　and　when　there　was　nothing　on　the　horizon　which
might　cross　the　slightest　whim　of　her　husband；　was　an　amiable；　good…
natured　woman。　　If　it　was　not　such　an　awful　thing　to　say　of　anyone；
I　should　say　that　she　meant　well。

Ernest　had　also　inherited　his　mother's　love　of　building　castles　in
the　air；　andso　I　suppose　it　must　be　calledher　vanity。　　He　was
very　fond　of　showing　off；　and；　provided　he　could　attract　attention；
cared　little　from　whom　it　came；　nor　what　it　was　for。　　He　caught　up；
parrot…like；　whatever　jargon　he　heard　from　his　elders；　which　he
thought　was　the　correct　thing；　and　aired　it　in　season　and　out　of
season；　as　though　it　were　his　own。

Miss　Pontifex　was　old　enough　and　wise　enough　to　know　that　this　is
the　way　in　which　even　the　greatest　men　as　a　general　rule　begin　to
develop；　and　was　more　pleased　with　his　receptiveness　and
reproductiveness　than　alarm